Method of making structural units



G., 4,; gg. F F BECKER ZEL METHOD OF MAKING STRUCTURAL UNITS? Filed Feb. 27, V1955 NVENTOR. Hw@ E m H/S ATTORNEYJ .itA

Patented Oct. 4, 1938 1, f 2,131,883 l p Y, Marilou or MAKING STRUCTURAL UNITS Fred F. Becker, Chicago, Ill., assignor,` by mesne assignments, to Rock-Ola. Manufacturing Cor' poration, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Dela- Ware Applieatilm February 27, 1935, serial No. 8,428

, 2 Claims. This invention rentes be avst'ructurm unit and method of making the same.Y i' l l `It `is--an object of this invention tolprovide an improved structural unit which is relatively simple and inexpensive in construction and efficient in use.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved structural unit, which is adapted to` be mounted upon an arm, shaft, or other supporting member; and the present invention is particularly concerned with providing a new method for aligning holes or apertures in the structural unit for the reception of a supporting arm, shaft, or other supporting member. l5 Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel method and in the novel combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying` drawing, showing a preferred form of construction for the new structural unit and in which:

Fig. l is a perspective view illustrating a preferred form of the newV structural unit in posi` tion of use;

Fig. 2 is a sectional View on line 22 in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a perspective View showing a preferred form of the new structural unit as it appears in the blank form, that is, prior to the forming operation;

Fig. 4 is a perspective View showing the new Y structural unit in the process of formation; and Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional View showing the new structural unit during the forming operation.

, A preferred form of the new structural unit is shown in the drawing, is therein generally indicated at lll, and is adapted to bemounted upon a supporting arm, shaft, or member II, for any desired purpose, such, for example, as is illustrated in Fig. 1, wherein the unit or member II] is shown provided with a slot I3 which is adapted to receive a roller I4, the roller I4 being designed to operate a movable element I2 of a machine,

device, or apparatus of any desired construction.

As shown in Fig. 3, the new structural unit or member I0 is formed from a body or piece of at metal stock I5, and the first step in forming the unit I0 is the provision in the body or stock I5,

adjacent one end thereof, of spaced apertures or openings I6. l

The present invention is particularly concerned with the provision of a new method for forming the new structural element or unit I0 in such a manner that the openings or apertures I6 therein will be properly aligned and registered, after the forming operation, to receive supporting shaft or member `I I upon which the structural element i9' is intended to be mounted and used after the completion of the forming operation.

In the manufacture of the new structural unit `Ill there are provided in the end portion Il of the stock orbody I5, on opposite marginal edges thereof, notches I8 which provide, in eliect, a line of weakened union I9 which extends transversely across the stock or body I5 relative to the long axis of the same; these notches I8 being provided in the stockV I5 either simultaneously with the formation of the apertures I5 or before or after that operation, as desired.

Therend portion I 'I of the structural unit I0 is `then bent back upon itself, along the line of weakened union I9 by means of Va forming die, as follows: the body cr stock I5 is placed upon the bed 2l! of a suitable forming die vor press, above an opening 22 which is formed in the bed 2li of the press, and Within an opening 23 which is provided in the bed plate 24; the bed plate 24 being mounted upon the upper Vsurface of the bed 20 of the die or'press so as to. hold the stock I5 in a stationary position, and against lateral or longitudinal displacement, 'during the forming operation.

The bed plate 24 is provided with an elongated slot 2l and during the forming operation the die 25 is pressed down upon the end portion II of the stock I5, along the line of weakened union I9, and with the jaws 2B of the forming die projected through the slot 2I on opposite sides of the stock I5, into the well 22 of the bed plate 2D; the jaws 26 of the forming die passing into corresponding lateral openings 2] formed in the bed 2B of the die in communication with the well 22. In this manner the end portion Il of the stock I5 is bent back upon itself into a substantially U-shaped formation, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 5, thereby providing a portion 28 which vextends substantially parallel to the main extent or body of the member II, in spaced relationship thereto.

It will be noted that during the forming operation the jaws 26 of the forming die hold the stock I5 relatively immovable in the recess 23 in the bed plate 24 of the die, that is, against lateral or longitudinal displacement, so that the stock I5 can not twist or turn and hence the opening or apertures in the stock I6 are properly aligned and registered for the reception of the supporting shaft or member II, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and in this manner the unit is made from a single piece of stock rather than being assembled from separate parts or being' made by drilling a hole through a piece of heavy stock for the reception of the supporting shaft Il.

To complete the operation and so as to hold 5 the completed unit l0 in a relatively xed position upon its supporting shaft or member H, a transversely extending groove 29 is provided in the peripheral surface of the supporting shaft or member Il, as shown in Fig. 2, and a pin Sii l0 is inserted into this groove 29 and between the opposite .arms of the Ushaped portion of the structural element lil-I 5, so as to latch the same in a relatively fixed position upon its supporting shaft or member I l, thus completingthe assem- 15 bly of the new structural unit.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable of variation 0 and modication, without departing froml the spirit of the invention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such unit which includes forming an elongated blank of thin metal, drilling spaced openings in said blank between its longitudinal extremities, notching the opposite longitudinal sides of said blank between its ends midway between the axes of said openings, and bending said blank along a line between said notches into a Ushaped member while utilizing said notches in effecting axial registration of said openings.

FRED F. BECKER. 

